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Help - what do street drugs smell like?

A guy came to my office for the first time - never met him before.

He wants to be more savvy about protecting his teenage children. He smells odd smoke in his house and has seen bits of fine black ash behind boxes in the garage. He knows what marijuana smells like and it is not that.

I would appreciate anyone's street knowledge about what street drugs smell like when burned or smoked.

I'll also accept recommendations about where to look for this information. My google searches haven't been fruitful - probably asking wrong. I want to help this guy out if his kids are in trouble. At my former location we housed a CA group where I could ask these questions.

I believe most Police Depts. offer classes and info on this.
They go through extensive training on it, so would be an excellent source.
Corner a cop at the donut shop.
(Just kidding. I have the utmost respect for them).

Never, under any circumstances, combine a sleeping pill, and laxative on the same night.

It might be easier to educate yourself about what people look like when high...for example pupils dilated, etc. granted, such things are subjective, and easier spoted with personal experience, but they may be easier to delineate than smells.
ymmv.

I agree, Paul. I'll pass that along, while I try to find a direct answer to his "odor and ashes" questions.

I did find some info on the smell of Meth - like burning rubber or plastic - but that it varies with the impurities in the Meth. I also could not tell whether they were talking about the smell of production or the smell of use.

Edit: He said the smell was like when a steak our ground beef has to much blood and the blood is burning in the frying pan. (Sorry. That's really gross.)

Maybe he should ask his kids? Tell them what he found in the garage, and see what they say. No need to be accusatory...just have the conversation. For the record i raised 2 daughters...both of them experimented in school..as every kid does...and now one does not drink or use drugs, and the other drinks some, but does not do drugs.

Maybe he should ask his kids? Tell them what he found in the garage, and see what they say. No need to be accusatory...just have the conversation. For the record i raised 2 daughters...both of them experimented in school..as every kid does...and now one does not drink or use drugs, and the other drinks some, but does not do drugs.

He wants to be more savvy about protecting his teenage children. He smells odd smoke in his house and has seen bits of fine black ash behind boxes in the garage. He knows what marijuana smells like and it is not that.

I would appreciate anyone's street knowledge about what street drugs smell like when burned or smoked.

I'll also accept recommendations about where to look for this information. My google searches haven't been fruitful - probably asking wrong. I want to help this guy out if his kids are in trouble. At my former location we housed a CA group where I could ask these questions.

Thanks in advance.

Brian

Brian ... Meth is an epidemic in Escondido, we lived in Temecula for 10 years and know first hand how bad the problem is. My advice is to encourage your friend to take swift action if Meth is what he's smelling. It's a very difficult drug to quit from what I've seen.

I wouldn't waste any time on smells. There are too many ways that people will try to hide or mask a smell, resulting in a different smell altogether.

And anyone that has watched Cops knows that people caught red handed won't admit to drug possession or use. You won't get honest answers from the kids. I've known parents that were told "it is just a little pot" only to later discover the kids were doing heroin.

I'd waste no time in getting them to the doctor to run an illicit drug panel.

I wouldn't waste any time on smells. There are too many ways that people will try to hide or mask a smell, resulting in a different smell altogether.

And anyone that has watched Cops knows that people caught red handed won't admit to drug possession or use. You won't get honest answers from the kids. I've known parents that were told "it is just a little pot" only to later discover the kids were doing heroin.

I'd waste no time in getting them to the doctor to run an illicit drug panel.

You can check my credentials to answer this question in this thread, second post down.......Here

In reality, a police department is not going to help you with identifying the smell.

Even if he knew EXACTLY what the smell was, that does not tell him at all who is using.

Someone mentioned that you do not have to be accusatorial, and that is true. In my opinion though, you DO have to hand them a drug test that tests at a minimum heroin, cocaine, meth, and marihuana. Explain to them why you are handing it to them, and make them take it right then. Anything short of that is doing a disservice to your children. A parent's job is not to be their child's friend, it is to be their parent.